The rise of the 'sparden': Londoners choose mini spa retreats over greenery in city gardens

Evening Standard

16-05-2025

While most Londoners don't have that sort of money, Selman believes the spa garden trend reflects the way millennials, in particular, are making health and wellness a priority. Garden designer Jo Thompson has also noticed a rise in the number of clients asking for spa-type features to be integrated into landscaping. 'More and more, we're being asked to include wellness areas, specifically saunas and plunge pools,' she says, although the challenge is making sure they feel part of the garden rather than just 'dropped in'. In one Hampstead project, Thompson created 'a heavily planted winding path up to a secret little oasis with sauna and pool that from the outside looked like another garden area,' she says.